Green Child
by Violetcarson
Summary: "Soon," he whispered to the shards of a miko's heart in his hand. "Just a little while longer."   Somewhere in the past, there is a secret. A possibility, impossible to imagine. There is also a trailer for this fanfic, available on youtube.
1. Prologue: Requiem for a Dream

Prologue: Requiem for a Dream

The lone figure paced the halls of his castle, his agitated steps outlined by the flickering of a multitude of candles. He strode across the floor, back and forth, here and there, on and on, as he'd been doing for the last hours of the day steadily into the beginning of night. Rest ran screaming from his bloodshot eyes and aching limbs. It had been three full days since Sesshoumaru had slept and yet he could not relax. His mind would not allow it. Every time he had laid down on his bed, images filled his mind and he would be up and pacing again within moments. Even a demon of his stature was beginning to wane.

The path he followed around his study had worn against the tatami, causing the edges of the mats to fray, marking his path. He idly noted the fibers coming undone under his feet as he trod on them, i_Must remember to have them replaced,_ /i he thought distractedly, and immediately forgot the notion. His long fingers trailed along his desk as he circled it, claws snagging on papers: reports on his household and lands, figures for the accounts, encoded messages from his spy network. The pile was in a terrible state of disarray. On any other day he would have set to work to immediately repair such disorganization but now he barely noticed as a couple of small complaint papers fluttered to the floor.

There was a sudden pressure in his mind, a new sensation at the edge of his senses. i_Finally./i_ He unconsciously straightened his already impeccable clothing as he took a seat behind the desk, claws tapping against the dark stained maple. His amber eyes narrowed at the painted fusuma that opened into the hallway of his private wing. He mentally counted down the seconds it would take for them to arrive.

_Three, Two…_The inked mountains slid away noiselessly and two figures knelt in the entryway, their flame colored queues resting on the floor as they bowed their heads.

"Rise and report," he snapped impatiently. The two kitsune obeyed in unison, adopting identical stances; feet shoulder width apart, hands clasped behind the back. The one standing to the left, who was slightly taller, was the one who spoke.

"We were successful. The sword has been retrieved and we did not have to go out of our way to recover a shard. The youkai who took the sword was in possession of two. We believe she was in the employ of Naraku." They bowed in unison, the twin who had been silent producing a rough cloth sack from behind his back, presenting it to his lord.

Sesshoumaru cursed. How that interfering hanyou could have discovered the significance of the sword was beyond him. At least the vile creature had not succeeded in destroying it. He ripped apart the youki seal on the bag and removed the sword, placing it reverently on the desk. With a flick of his wrist, the two jewel shards fell into his hand. His heart skipped a beat as they made contact with his skin, and he closed his eyes for an instant to savor the feeling. It had been _so_ _long._ He allowed himself the smallest moment of weakness possible before returning his attention to the two youkai. "What of my brother? What did you see of his pack?" _It has to be now. I can't have mistaken the signs._

"They were celebrating the taijiya's name day when we observed them. And there was a marked distance between the hanyou and…her. No tension, it was just as if there was a new ditance to their relationship. And," here the kitsune's voice faltered, sounding concerned, "she seemed sad."

Sesshoumaru tried to process what he'd been told from an objective point of view. There was no doubt now. It was almost time. _It's been so long,_ a voice whispered again in the back of his head. He ruthlessly shoved it down and tried to consider his next move as cooly as possible. Despite his every attempt, small tendrils of feeling broke past his iron control. Little shivers of excitement rocked his mind. He was practically giddy. He shook his head minutely to clear it and focused on the kitsune.

"You remember your instructions. Now is the time to carry them out." His voice was cold, but despite that, the two kitsune adopted wide grins at his words, abandoning their rigid stances.

"Excellent!" enthused the shorter kitsune. He was unabashedly joyful as he punched his brother in the shoulder, formality completely forgotten. The other was staring in wide-eyed excitement at Sesshoumaru. He let out a whoop of joy.

The demon lord rolled his eyes internally. Honestly, these two were well over 300 and needed to start acting their ages. He tried to ignore the small, (maybe not so small…) bit of his mind that was celebrating right along with them and let out a small growl. The two jerked back to attention and had the decency to at least appear thoroughly chastened at their lack of propriety. Except for the massive grins both were still sporting. _Idiots_, grumbled an irritated Taiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru tried to ignore their cackles of glee as they left his study. He unconsciously caressed the two shards in his hand. He raised them up to eye level and studied them intently. It seemed that he could feel the shards warming under his gaze. They seemed to pulse slightly, their purity shining. He closed his eyes. "Soon," he whispered to the shards of a miko's heart in his hand. "Just a little while longer."

The shards pulsed brighter in response.

~G~C~G~C~

The wind swirled through the trees, dancing with the leaves and singing in the branches. It tugged playfully at the green skirt of a young woman as she strolled through the forest. The wind's playfulness had no effect on her vacant expression, and so the wind moved on, whispering through the forest.

Kagome's steps carried her away from the quiet voices of Sango and Miroku. The two were so wrapped up in each other they had hardly noticed her leaving. The monk had finally succeeded in getting the skittish demon slayer to sit with him and enjoy the warmth of the fire as they munched on the remains of the bag of marshmallows Kagome had supplied for Sango's birthday. The foxkit had devoured most of the bag and left the adults of the group to pick through the remains for suitable roasting options, and had long ago succumbed to a sugar coma on top of Kirara. The slayer had looked doubtful when the monk first offered the seating arrangement, but she gave in with surprising ease. Perhaps she had softened up a little due to the monk's gift; she had yet to release the perfect miniature of her brother that he had painted for her. _Maybe the monk is finally learning._

A resounding slap could be heard, breaking the peace of the evening. _On second thought, maybe not._

Kagome smiled at the sound, seeing it as proof that some things never change. But her smile faded quickly, because some things do.

The final member of her tachi had disappeared into the trees above, golden eyes keeping as sharp a watch as they ever had.

Her feet brought her to an opening in the dense forest and she sighed at the sight of Goshinboku before her. She sank to the ground between two of the roots and stared up at the sky. Even after spending over a sixth of her lifetime in the Feudal Era, she couldn't help but be amazed at the expanse of night sky that was so impossible in the future. So many wonderful things were lost to everyone there, and they didn't even know what they were missing.

She began to trace the familiar constellations with a finger. The hunter. The sisters. The dragon. She'd learned the Western tales in a rather spontaneous astronomy class taken her senior year. It might have been a rather desperate attempt to connect her schooling with something applicable to her life 500 years in the past. The stars changed, but so slowly that the half a millennium that separated her from her home seemed like the blink of an eye.

_They're so lucky,_ she thought to herself. She knew it was ridiculous even as she thought it. Really? Envious of the stars? But she couldn't help it. Stars were stars. They had a specific job to do, a certain path to follow. All they had to do was twinkle, and bewitch the minds of those looking up at them. A niggling voice of reason in the back of her mind wanted to know how gigantic balls of hydrogen gas were supposed to be anything close to romantic but she ignored it. Considering the science ruined the philosophy of it.

She let her hand fall back to the ground. Consciously avoiding this depressing train of thought, she focused instead on the dampness that was transferring onto her clothing. Dew was gathering on the grass beneath her and the back of her skirt was already soaked through. She lifted the pleats and examined them with a critical eye. The skirt was dirty and worn thin from wear, but it was no better than the other skirts she had. She made a mental note to get rid of them at the next opportunity. She was foolish for still wearing clothing so similar to her school uniform. After she graduated, she found that it was just weird to wear anything else in the Sengoku. Also, some people looked even more askance at the jeans that clung tightly to her legs than they had at her skirt. How did that make sense? At least the jeans had covered her up.

Deliberately, Kagome pulled her hand away from where it was worrying the fabric and rested it on her stomach. She was trying to avoid thinking about _him_, and she knew that had to stop. Not thinking didn't mean _it_ hadn't happened.

"He. Does. Not. Want. Me." She spoke the words aloud, clearly, and tried to ignore the tears that welled up at the admission. She remembered…

_It was a warm summer morning. Birds were singing. The sun was shining. And she was taking a walk with the first man that had ever made her heart pound. _

_Sango and Miroku had volunteered to fix breakfast for everyone. Or rather, Miroku had volunteered them and a sputtering Sango had agreed with a glare. Shippo had proudly declared that he and Kirara would stand guard over the humans, leaving InuYasha to plot the day's travels. Kagome had volunteered to scout around with him, in the hopes that she might sense a jewel shard. Now, as they walked through the forest, she couldn't help but steal little glances at him. His ears twitched as he examined his surroundings. Occasionally he would bend to sniff at the ground, and sometimes he would leap up into a tree to see over the next hill._

_Kagome felt content. Really she did. She was content with the situation right now, just walking beside him. The nervous chewing on her lips was just a coincidence. It had nothing to do with the unreadable glances she had caught him directing at her often over the past weeks. But, she just had to ask._

"_Inu…InuYasha? I-" she cut off with a squeak, having watched him so intently that she'd missed the jutting rock that interrupted her path. Her arms flew out before her in a pointless attempt to regain balance. She closed her eyes, braced for the impact…and fell right into his arms. Her eyes remained closed for just a moment and she mentally cheered. InuYasha had caught her. This moment was too perfect to be true. The scenery was beautiful, the mood was set, and she could almost hear the cheesy theme music in the background. After an endless moment she opened her eyes and blinked up at him. He was staring at her, his gaze the most intense she had ever seen it. His ears twitched and his eyes burned golden. For an endless instant they regarded each other. Then he began to lower his face to hers._

AIYEEE! _went her mental scream._ Freaking finally! _She could hear the theme music crescendo and her lashes began to flutter together. His breath was warm against her cheek. He was so close she could almost _taste_ him. _

_And then it was gone. Abruptly he had let go of her and was out of arm's reach. His eyes were covered by his bangs, unreadable, and she gasped for the breath that suddenly seemed impossible to draw into her lungs. She stared at him and felt her throat close with the tears._

_He looked up at her and his eyes were tight with pain. "I'm sorry Kagome," he said quietly, his voice even rougher than usual. "I can't…it's just that every time…I can't help but see her face." He looked away, his gaze searching desperately for something, and finding the surroundings wanting. He stared at his hands for a moment, the sharp tips of his claws glinting in the sun. His voice was a desperate plea as he returned to facing her. "I really want…I just can't…I'm so sorry Kagome." His eyes begged her to understand._

_Kagome closed her own and took a deep breath. In through the nose, hold, and release. Without opening her eyes she reached for him and clung. Her face was buried in his fire-rat and his pressed against her hair as he held her. It might have been the most tender embrace they'd ever had. But it wasn't._

_She sobbed in his arms and both of them knew that they would never be together._

G~C~G~C~G~C

A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed the Prologue!

So, I did some more editing on this, and rewrote the first chapter. Last time, I swear. XD

If you don't review, I'll probably starve. And then I'd die. And then I'd never finish the story. We don't want that do we? Review please! Concrit welcome, flaming not so much. XD


	2. Chapter 1: Take Me Away rewritten

A/N: This chapter has been rewritten, again. Edits were made to the prologue as well. Song is by Globus. Standard disclaimers apply. Enjoy!

G~C~G~C~G~C

Chapter One: Take Me Away

_iTake me away from time and season_

_Far far away we'll sing with reason_

_Prepare a throne of stars above me_

_As the world once known will leave me_

_Take me away upon a plateau_

_Far far away from fears and shadow_

_Strengthen my heart in times of sorrow_

_Light the way to bright tomorrows/i_

"Where are you going?" InuYasha asked as he dropped down in front of her.

Kagome jumped, and tried not to appear too guilty. She was a grown woman, and had every right to be leaving camp unobtrusively in the middle of the night. Which was i_not/i _sneaking.

He was still looking at her expectantly, and she cleared her throat and replied, "I'm going home a couple hours early, InuYasha. I'm not really doing anything important here, and if I leave early, maybe I'll be able to come back a little early too." She tried for a cheerful smile as she said it, striving for normality. It failed. Everything she said to him felt false and awkward recently.

When they'd first started their quest, his reaction would have been to bluster and yell at her about wasting time. But now he only nodded. Silently, Kagome wished for the yelling.

He was staring at her again, a pensive frown marring his face. Her skin responded by heating, despite her ardent mental protests. Battering down the urge to argue with him, if just for the sake of routine, she tried to make her smile reassuring.

"Don't worry about me, InuYasha. I've done this hundreds of time. What could go wrong?" When he didn't appear convinced, she nodded back at where their companions snored behind them. "Stay here and take care of everyone else while I'm gone, okay? I'll be back in a couple of days."

His ears twitched, but he snorted and crossed his arms, the picture of gruff surliness.

Kagome's smile in response was her first real one since spotting him. It was a gesture so much like the old InuYasha, before everything changed between them.

As she walked down the path, she couldn't stop herself from turning to look back at her friends. Sango and Miroku were curled under their blankets, nearer each other in sleep than they ever allowed themselves to be awake. Shippo was curled on top of Kirara, snoring happily away. She thought she might have seen a slight glint of red eyes from the nekomata, but it was too far to tell. InuYasha was perched in a tree once again, and his eyes followed her as she turned away.

It was almost dawn, but no animals were stirring in the forest around her. It was deathly quiet, and she sped up, not wanting to linger in the eerie silence. She reached the well much sooner than she'd expected, and paused at the edge of the clearing as it entered her sight. There was something already there…

"Hey!" she shouted. The figure that she'd seen bending over the wall looked up at her voice. She saw a flash of red, and the figure vanished. Kagome cursed, running forward. She skidded on the dew-damp grass, and barely caught herself on the lip of the well. She steadied herself and whipped around, searching for the person she'd seen. If one of the villagers was poking around the well, it was entirely likely they'd fall in and get themselves injured. However, there appeared to be no one anywhere nearby. i_Maybe I imagined it,/i_ she thought. After all, what human could manage to disappear so quickly? And she should have sensed a demon.

Kagome shook her head, and turned back to the well, swinging one leg over. Something chattered at her from near her foot. She almost lost her balance, staring in shock at a little squirrel. It flicked its bushy tail and watched her with beady eyes. It had the reddest coat she had ever seen on a squirrel. She cocked her head at the creature. "What are you doing here, little guy? And what exactly did I do to offend you?" The squirrel chattered at her again. "Alright then," she said, "I can tell you're in no mood to talk." Kagome turned back around on the well, determined to ignore creepy little squirrels that shouldn't be awake when the rest of the forest was silent.

There was a pulse from the pocket of her jacket. "What the…" Kagome pulled the vial where she kept her few shards from the pocket and stared. The shards of the Shikon Jewel were glowing brilliantly against her palm.

There was a sudden screech. She looked up, just in time for a raven to collide with her shoulder. She tipped backwards into the well, arms flailing for a grip. As she fell into the depths, she felt the packet of jewel shards tugged from her hand. She screamed and snatched for it, but the raven had wheeled away, and she was falling. Before the magic caught her, she saw the squirrel perched on the lip of the well, its bushy tail waving.

Her back hit the floor of the well with a thump, and she groaned as her pack hit the ground with another thump beside her. Blearily she turned over onto her stomach, and allowed herself a brief moment to wallow in self pity. i_Well, this stinks._/i In less than three minutes she had managed to destroy several months worth of shard hunting. _iAnd now we'll have to kill that stupid bird when it manages to transform! It'll terrorize everything it can reach if left to itself./i _Not to mention the tongue-lashing she was sure to receive from InuYasha for losing the shards in the first place.

As she shifted, there was a sharp twinge in her shoulder. She hissed in a breath of air, and sat up, feeling for the damage. She had banged her shoulder on landing, and it was already developing a nice bruise. She probably wouldn't be able to fully draw her bow for a couple days until it started to heal. Kagome sighed, already despairing over how this day was going. She checked her pack and her bow to make sure nothing was damaged.

A cold droplet landed on her nose. Startled, she looked up. A gray sky stretched over the well, beginning to brighten with the light of day. Snowflakes were drifting lazily down, ignoring the fact that they should have been stopped by a roof. A roof, which _was not there_.

Now was the point when Kagome's mind went "What the _Fuck_?" For several seconds, she merely stared in open-mouthed shock at where the roof of her family's well house should have been.

"This can't be right," she said aloud. Immediately after breaking the silence, she shivered. It was still unnervingly quiet all around her, as it had been in the Feudal Era before the magic of the well took hold of her. But it had most certainly not been snowing in the Sengoku.

_Oh my God! What if the house burned down?/i_ Kagome's mind immediately panicked. If she'd thought stopped to think about it for any length of time, she would have come up with many more logical conclusions, but Kagome was never one to over think a situation.

She jumped to her feet and started trying to leap up the wall, ignoring her loudly protesting shoulder. Some of the rocks beneath her hands crumbled at her hurried touch, but she managed to scramble her way up. As she reached the top, she heaved herself over the edge, and flopped onto grass lightly dusted with snow.

There was no well house, and no courtyard either. There was no shrine, no cobblestones, no Tori gates, no Grampa, no Souta, and no Mama. It looked much like the Feudal Era. But the Japan she had just left behind was not covered by a late spring snow. Light flakes still drifted down all around her, and there was a light white covering on all of the early spring growth.

Kagome stared at her surroundings, completely stunned. i_Where did the well send me?/i_ Or rather, when? This was not the Sengoku Jidai, and it was not Modern Japan.

Without consciously willing them to, her feet began to carry her across the small clearing surrounding the well. She pushed through several bushes, and began shivering as she moved across the relatively clear forest floor. She rubbed briskly along her arms, not quite sure where she was heading. It was far too late in the year for the air to be so cold, and she wasn't dressed at all decently for the temperatures. She was just starting to seriously lament not wearing jeans despite the avid protests, when she came out into another clearing.

In an instant she realized where she had been going. Goshinboku. The great tree connected every aspect of her life, and she turned to it when she needed something stable. It was no wonder that she had gone to it without thinking. It was the one thing that remained constant for her throughout her travels.

But the tree was not there.

Slowly, hesitantly, not wanting to believe what her senses were telling her, Kagome walked to the center of the clearing, where Goshinboku's great spread should have shaded her from the falling snow. She kneeled in the cold, dead grass where the God Tree was not.

In that moment, she realized exactly how far she was from home.

G~C~G~C~G~C

"AHHH!" A sword sliced through the air where Kagome's head had been, before whipping back around for another pass. Again, Kagome ducked, trying her damnedest not to slip on the wet leaves. She pivoted, letting the men on horses thunder past her, before turning to run in the other direction. The ploy failed, and they were on her tail again in an instant.

She'd still been staring in shock at the empty place where Goshinboku should have stood when the group of ronin had appeared at the edge of the clearing. At first, they'd seemed as surprised to see her as she had them, but they'd gotten over it as soon as they realized she was a young woman completely alone in the woods. The leers that had split their faces were some of the most terrifying things Kagome had ever witnessed. One of those leers had cut off abruptly when an arrow pierced the owner's throat, but Kagome hadn't managed to get a single shot off since. Having one of their number struck down had failed to intimidate the other three ronin, and had instead pissed them off royally. They had decided to kill her rather than play with her. At the moment, Kagome couldn't quite decide whether or not this was a good thing.

Sweat beaded over her entire body, freezing as it formed, and she was beginning to pant heavily as she tried not to get trampled by horses. She was wearing down, and she knew this meant her death was becoming ever more likely as the minutes passed. She couldn't dodge these men's swords forever.

She ducked behind a tree as another sword swung towards her. She leaped over a downed log, but there was a patch of ice on the other side. Kagome's legs flew out from under her, and a searing pain in her shoulder helped to topple her to the ground.

She tried to push herself back to her feet, but her left arm gave out, and she collapsed again with a groan. The shoulder she had bruised earlier burned, and she could feel rivulets of blood slicking her arm. With her good arm she pushed herself up to kneeling.

The ronin circled around her, reining their horses back now that she wasn't going anywhere. The leader moved forward to look down at her; she could feel the mist from his mount's breath against her face. She was quivering, pain and exhaustion filling her, but she stared back at him.

The man opened his mouth to speak, and an arrow bloomed suddenly in his eye. His horse reared and he toppled out of the saddle. Kagome fell over backwards trying to avoid the flailing hooves.

The remaining bandits wheeled their horses around, searching wildly for their attacker. Another arrow pierced the shoulder of the man closest to Kagome, and the two turned their horses and galloped away, leaving their leader dead on the ground.

"Are you alright, girl?" A warm hand gripped Kagome's good shoulder and pulled her to her feet. The owner of the hand immediately moved to examine the injury, pushing aside her collar without waiting for an answer. She was a miko, dressed in the traditional robes, but strangely sporting a short sword at her hip as well as the bow slung over her shoulder. Her long braid slapped against her waist as she shook her head at the wound.

"It's cut straight into the muscle, but at least the sword was sharp. It should heal easily enough, as long as you don't let it get infected." She ripped a piece of Kagome's sleeve off, and bound the wound with deft fingers. Without another glance she turned away. "Come on then, you look like you're freezing to death." Kagome stared after the miko as she walked through the trees. i_Abrupt, much?_/i

She glanced around uncertainly, eyes skirting away from the dead man. "Um, miko-sama? Shouldn't we, er, do something about…this?" She gestured towards the corpse. The arrow had dislodged in his fall, and a small pool of blood was melting the light layer of snow.

The miko snorted without looking back. "Leave it, I'll send one of the men to remove the body. But you can grab the horse if you insist on doing something; he's much too fine an animal to leave for some rogue to pick up. That man probably stole him in any case. Just don't jar that shoulder!" Her voice brooked no argument.

Kagome gritted her teeth at the orders. i_This has to be the bossiest woman I've ever met!/i _She grumbled to herself, but went to grab the horse in any case. The horse, which had been standing by a tree debating on whether or not running was a good idea, snorted as she grabbed his reins, but didn't jerk away. Kagome traced a finger down his nose, admiring his dappled grey coat. "It's alright buddy, you're going to come with me now. And I promise I won't let this crazy miko mistreat you." The horse was still shivering, but he lipped her hand as she stroked his muzzle.

She followed after the disappearing miko, being very careful with the reins. She'd never had that much experience with horses, and didn't think she'd enjoy having a foot trod on. "Miko-sama! Could you hold on just a moment?" The miko didn't stop, but she did slow down long enough for Kagome to catch up to her.

"Thank you for waiting, and for saving me," she said. i_Even if you are unusually rude,/i_ was Kagome's mental qualifier. "Um, would you mind if I asked your name?"

"Midoriko, girl. I suppose I should ask yours as well, I can't just call you girl all the time. Well?" Midoriko turned to look at her when she failed to give her name.

Kagome's jaw had dropped open, and she would've been embarrassed if she knew how much she resembled a goldfish. But her mind was too busy undergoing an earthquake of shock for the third time that morning. i_Midoriko?/i _Her mind screamed. i_Just how far back in the past am I?_/i

G~C~G~C~G~C

Far away, a girl slipped away from a crowded inn. The sounds of laughter and boisterous talk followed her as she slid into the shadows of the stable. A coin flipped to the sleepy stable boy had her horse saddled in moments. She rode out of the inn's courtyard, glancing back to see that she was not being followed.

Kobayashi Izayoi would never be forced to endure the pain that her uncle had planned for her. She had put up with his disgustingly lustful actions for long enough before he became daimyo following her father's death. She would not allow him to use her body as he so wanted. Her body was for one man only. Except, he was not a man.

Izayoi set off into the morning, determined to reach her love.

G~C~G~C~G~C

A/N: Slight edits made, again.

Thanks go to RenoHotness, for her amazing beta-work!

Feed me Seymour. Feed me! In other words, Darling Readers, Drop me a review before you trot off. XD


	3. Chapter 2: Far From Home

A/N: Merry Christmas! The song for this chapter is by Five Finger Death Punch. If you haven't heard it, go listen! Standard disclaimers apply. Warnings for my morbidity and love of awkwardness. Now have a chapter! XD

Chapter 2: Far From Home

_All the places I've been and things I've seen_

_A million stories that made up a million shattered dreams_

_The faces of people I'll never see again_

_And I can't seem to find my way home_

_Cause it's almost like_

_Your heaven's trying everything to break me down_

_Cause it's almost like_

_Your heaven's trying everything to keep me out_

G~C~G~C~G~C

Morning came while InuYasha kept his vigil. His thoughts had been scattered in the hour since Kagome left, jumping from topic to topic. He couldn't get the thought of his friend in danger out of his head, and it took every ounce of his willpower not to race to the well and stop her from going through. He didn't like this situation. For some reason, Kagome shouldn't have left today. He knew his uneasiness didn't make sense. He also didn't care.

InuYasha may have been half human, but half of him carried the instincts of a dog, and those instincts were currently clamoring for action. One of his packmates had left, and might now be in danger. In the past, Kagome's travels back to her era had only been an annoyance. He had never felt anything like this surge of dangerous premonition about the girl's time-traveling. Somehow, he couldn't shake the thought that he might never see Kagome again.

_Oi!_ InuYasha growled at himself. _The wench is gonna be fine. It's like she said, she's done this hundreds of times. Get yer head on straight! _He shook himself thoroughly, like a dog shakes off water, and leaped from his tree.

The rest of his companions were beginning their day as usual. Miroku was meditatively stirring a pot of rice porridge, and Sango was organizing her weapons. Shippo had yet to uncurl himself, and growled at Kirara when she yowled and batted his nose. The kit turned his face the other direction, refusing to surrender his sleepy grip on the neko's tail.

The humans nodded to InuYasha, but said nothing. They could tell he was in a lousy mood, and were rather too fond of their heads to make a comment about it. He grumbled at finding not much to do, and turned to sit at the base of the tree where he had perched. Kagome's sleeping bag was still rolled up underneath it. The stupid girl kept forgetting it when she went to the future, leaving them to lug it around until she got back. At least she took that bloody pack with her. (Actually, he'd never admit it, but he didn't mind carrying her sleeping bag. It was like a piece of her that stayed with the group when she was gone. And she always came back for it.)

He glared contemplatively at the sleeping bag in question, and noticed something glinting against the straps holding it closed.

His hand was shaking as he reached for the vial of jewel shards that Kagome never let out of her sight. She always carried it in a pocket, except for when she was bathing. And even then, it was always hidden in her clothing within her line of sight. She'd been obsessive about protecting them ever since Kikyo had stolen most of them years before.

He stared at the shards, shimmering contently in their container, unaware that they had just caused the bottom of InuYasha's world to drop out.

"What is that, InuYasha?" came Sango's curious voice over his shoulder.

He looked up at her, and in that moment, Sango had never been more terrified. The look of absolute horror in his eyes struck her to her core. She swayed, and Miroku's hand on her shoulder steadied her.

"She can't get back without these. There's no way she would have left them behind." InuYasha's voice was startlingly quiet. In a moment, he dropped the shards and leaped away, racing for all he was worth towards the well.

Sango sagged with shock, leaning heavily against Miroku. Together they stared at the vial of shards, twinkling merrily.

G~C~G~C~G~C

"What do you mean she disappeared?"

The yell of rage broke the peaceful morning routine of the entire palace, making the very foundations quake. In the Lord's study, a retainer cowered, his nose pressed into the tatami under the wrath of his master.

"My-my Lord, it is as I s-said. The princess has vanished from her inn. I was not there when it happened, an-and once I discovered her absence I came he-here as quickly as I could. I knew you would, um, want to know, qu-quickly?" The retainer's quaking voice trailed off into a question.

The lord to whom he was speaking paced up and down the room, snarling under his breath. Touga wanted to howl, to rage, to throw things, and most of all, to _kill something_. The bumbling imbecile had lost Izayoi, and now the foolish girl was probably going to get herself killed off somewhere in the woods. Unnoticed, his clawed fingertips ripped open the skin of his palm, sending blood dribbling onto the floor. The need to immediately abandon all and rescue her fought with his control, his demonic instincts howling for action. Ruthlessly he forced them down. His current position was precarious. Too many of his enemies suspected that he had a human weakness, and if they discovered Izayoi was missing before she was safely ensconced in his castle they would do everything they could to capture her. And if she fell into the hands of one of the rival Taiyoukai…

Touga snarled at the thought. _I will not lose her!_

He snapped his attention back to the demon groveling on the floor before him. "You! Send for my son. Tell him-"

"There is no need Father. I am here." The shoji screen slid open, and a younger inu youkai flowed into the room. His movements were precise, no energy wasted, every movement calculated to perform exactly the needed action. His aristocratic features displayed nothing but boredom. "I knew you would call for me."

Touga glared down at the retainer, anger still raging internally over the message he had brought. "Leave us," he growled.

The retainer used a rather fascinating inchworm motion to hurry from the room without rising from the floor. As the shoji slid shut again, Touga turned to his son.

"Your human is gone, isn't she Father?" The boy's face was impassive.

Touga sighed, forcing himself to remain calm. He suddenly felt very tired. "Yes. I want you to find her."

Sesshoumaru stiffened, but did not protest. He had obviously expected the order. Of course, the boy knew the situation with the other Taiyoukai almost as well as he did. He saw the obvious need for secrecy.

Touga closed his eyes, still struggling to maintain control. "Find her and return as quickly as possible, but do not be too obvious in your travels. Do not use your youki to speed up the journey. You will have to travel as quickly as you can in the normal fashion. The last thing we want is to attract attention from the enemy Daimyo or Taiyoukai."

Sesshoumaru considered for a moment. "I will need an alibi to cover my intentions."

Touga turned to a pile of papers that had been placed on his desk. He selected the document he wanted, and tapped it with a long claw. "This is a request from Chinatsu. She wants me to find her replacement; she plans to retire soon. A new miko will also be useful in protecting Izayoi. You will find the miko Midoriko and summon her as well as finding Izayoi, before bringing both of them back to the palace," he commanded. "Midoriko was last rumored to be traveling near the Kobayashi domain, perhaps Izayoi will be near there still as well."

Sesshoumaru bowed in assent. "Yes, Father." He turned away.

"Oh and Sesshoumaru…" The male turned back.

Touga's eyes were steel. "Do not fail me."

His son's eyes sparkled at the challenge. "I will not."

G~C~G~C~G~C

_ Okay. Now it's just getting ridiculous!_ Kagome screeched and ducked behind a tree as the youkai behind her vomited a pool of acid onto the spot where she'd been standing. The creature was massive, and possibly the most disgusting thing she'd ever laid eyes on. Its mottled skin was shades of brown and green, and there were tentacles _everywhere_. It had no eyes that she could see, but there was a massive circular mouth which never seemed to close. Said mouth was also currently spewing drops of sizzling acid all over the ground around her.

An arrow hissed through the air and slammed into the spot where the creature's eyes should have been. A feral bellow was released, and it spun, tentacles flailing, slimy skin dripping, before two more arrows hit in quick succession and it exploded.

Chunks of slimy youkai rained down everywhere, and Kagome squeaked and ran for cover. One large blob smacked wetly into her arm, but the rest of her escaped unscathed.

"Ewww! Get it off!" Kagome shook her arm, dancing back and forth, trying to dislodge the stubborn lump of steaming flesh. After a great deal of shaking it released her arm with a wet pop and fell to the ground. Kagome barely refrained from rubbing the sticky residue off on her borrowed hakama. It'd be terrible manners to stain them.

"Here." Midoriko's voice was gruff as she wiped off the smudge with a square of cloth.

Kagome sighed. This was the third time in less than a week that the miko had saved her from a demon attack. Bleakly, she wished for her own bow, but one of the earlier youkai had managed to snap it like a twig three days before.

"Midoriko-sama, why do you think I'm being attacked so often?" It seemed like every time she left the miko's hut, there was another youkai trying to munch on her. She had managed to dispatch a couple of them on her own, but only barely. Her purification didn't work nearly as well without her weapon of choice. The other three times, Midoriko had arrived to destroy the demon before it destroyed her.

The miko sighed. "I'm not sure girl. They may just have sensed your power and come to investigate. Some lesser youkai can actually be attracted to a miko's power, especially when it's in flux. Such a flux usually represents a state of weakness in the miko, and some youkai instinctively respond to their enemy's vulnerability. This would not explain why they are still arriving. The effect on your power was caused by your intense emotions after your…arrival. That should have dissipated by now." The miko looked thoughtful, idly tapping her chin with the clean section of the viscera-covered cloth.

"I suppose they could have been sent by a stronger youkai who wanted to test the power of a potential enemy. The weak ones are often under the control of the more sentient beings."

Kagome shuddered. That sounded far too much like Naraku for her tastes. _He doesn't even exist yet, _she assured herself.

"C'mon then, we're going back to the village now." Midoriko turned away.

"Did you find that herb you wanted?" The girl sped up to walk beside the miko.

"No," Midoriko growled. "The stand I usually harvest from appears to have been rooted up. I think it was a pig demon. Its aura hadn't dissipated yet, probably was only through a couple days ago." She scowled at having missed the culprit.

_Well, at least I won't have to carry anything, _Kagome thought as they lapsed into silence_._ She felt almost cheerful about it. During the week that she had been infringing on the miko's hospitality Midoriko had displayed a fiendish delight in making Kagome do manual labor as repayment for her lodging.

Thoughts of the week spent in this time destroyed any shred of amusement she felt. This was the worst week Kagome had ever experienced. She could barely stop worrying about her friends and family long enough to sleep at night. And even then, it could hardly be called sleep. The nightmares made her toss and turn all night long. The images of Miroku swallowed by the void, Sango murdered by her own brother, and InuYasha struck down by his former lover plagued her. Worst were the dreams that involved Shippo's death. The sight of the little fox kit being ripped apart by other youkai had caused her to wake in a sweat, stifling her scream by biting hard into her hand, almost every night.

She knew that it was unlikely that her group had fallen so quickly since she'd last seen them, but the thoughts wouldn't leave her alone. She had no way of knowing if they were safe or not, and worse still, she had no idea if she'd ever find out.

"Moping again?" Midoriko's stern voice interrupted her grief.

Anger flashed inside Kagome. "What do you mean?"  
The miko sighed dramatically. "You've been moping the entire time you've been here. You're staying in my home, but I've no idea where you come from, and if you're going somewhere. All you do is wander around looking lost. And you've somehow managed to sprain your ankle twice. At this rate it's never going to heal." She glared at her patient, who wouldn't do as she was told.

Kagome blushed. Her ankle was still tender, but she'd gotten over most of the limp. "All I want to do is go home. I just…can't seem to find my way back."

The miko was silent for a long moment, and Kagome thought she'd dropped the subject. But then she broke the silence again. "Have you considered the thought that maybe you're not supposed to go home yet? Whatever you've been trying hasn't worked so far. Maybe your place is here for now."

Kagome stared at the miko's back, having stopped in shock at her words. "I…I hadn't thought of it that way. Maybe you're right."

The miko turned to her again, and there was a small twinkle in her eyes. "Well, maybe finding something worthwhile to do with your time here would be more productive than jumping into an old well every night. Besides, I could use a new apprentice."

Kagome gaped. "You followed me?"

The miko's smile was perfectly innocent as she ignored the question. "You didn't tell me what you thought of my offer."

Kagome stared hard at her shoes. Maybe it would be okay. Midoriko was right, jumping into the well every night was only wasting her time and energy, and every time the well failed to respond she felt more and more depressed. Having a purpose here would help. Her friends would be okay until she found a way back to them. And in the meantime, being more thoroughly trained could only help in the fight against Naraku. She'd never before had the time to train her powers very much.

She smiled hesitantly at the miko. "Okay."

G~C~G~C~G~C

"What d'ya want?" The man spat angrily at the feet of the messenger in front of him before replacing the chicken bone in his mouth. He leaned against a wall, ignoring the bleak alley around him.

The messenger wrinkled his nose in distaste. _Really, how disgusting. The need to associate with such a lowlife! _"You know very well that I was sent with orders from your master."

The ruffian chuckled darkly. "They'd best be damn good ones. You interrupted me. I don't much appreciate bein' interrupted."

When the messenger had found the man in a run-down tavern, he had been in the process of dragging a serving maid up against a wall despite her sobbing protests.

"I assure you, these orders are of the greatest importance. Your Lord orders you to retrieve the princess. She has run away from the Lord, and he is most displeased. She is to be brought to him with all haste." The messenger primly folded his hands inside his robes.

There was a new gleam in the tracker's eyes as he shifted the bone to the other side of his mouth. "I'm t'go after the girl, eh? Well, that changes things." He smiled dangerously.

The messenger cleared his throat, uncomfortable at the man's expression. "The Lord wants the princess back safe. She is not to be injured."

"Oh don't worry, she'll be as safe as a baby with me." He straightened up, and the bone cracked under the pressure of his teeth. Shattered pieces of bone rained to the ground, and his smile promised darkness.

G~C~G~C~G~C

A/N: As to the Inu bit at the beginning. I was going to put it at the end of the last chapter…but I kinda forgot. And no, I'm not going down the plotline of InuYasha still being in love with her after denying it. I love Inu far too much to do that to him. XD But Kagome is still one of the most important people in his life. She was the first person to accept him, and she is his best friend. Of course he's worried about her!

http : / www . youtube. com / watch?v = Ebw1ks66 - g8 That's the link to the trailer in case you haven't watched it yet. Just remove the spaces. XD

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Next time, the SessKag meeting! –cheers- I can't wait!

Please drop a review before you leave! As always, they're what keep us writers from starving to death.


	4. Chapter 3: Times Like These

A/N: In case I haven't made it clear, this story is heavily AR. Heavily. I'm taking the basic premise that Rumiko Takahashi gave us, and running away with it. XD The song for this chapter is by Foo Fighters (LOVE). I disclaim ownership of any musical entity quoted in my story, and of the characters and worlds I base my writing on. And that's the last time I'm saying it.

To my readers on fanfiction net, I feel the love. I got two reviews for the last chapter, and one of them was from my gloriously awesome beta. This story is on 34 people's alerts. C'mon guys.

Casedeputy and Renohotness, thank you for reviewing on ffnet. I dedicate this chapter to you both. You rock. XD

Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Times Like These

_I am a new day rising_

_I'm a brand new sky_

_To hang the stars upon tonight_

_I am a little divided_

_Do I stay or run away_

_And leave it all behind?_

_It's times like these you learn to live again_

_It's times like these you give and give again_

_It's times like these you learn to love again_

_It's times like these time and time again_

G~C~G~C~G~C

"Focus, girl!" Midoriko's voice was as sharp as the rap she delivered to the back of Kagome's head.

"Ow," Kagome muttered rebelliously, her eyes still closed. She made her hands lie still and stopped her idle thumb twiddling. She really did want to learn this, but meditation was just so boring!

"How do you expect to be able to control your reiki if you can't keep focus? Meditation is a key skill for a miko! If you can't manage to pay attention…" The miko ranted on, launching into another of her spiels on the rigors of a miko's training.

Midoriko seemed nice enough, but she definitely had a thing for spiels. Especially the long ones about duty that reminded Kagome of her old Civics teacher. She resigned herself to a long bout of boredom and affixed an expression of polite interest to her face.

Midoriko sighed, cutting off her spiel mid-sentence. "Alright, maybe we've practiced enough meditation for today. But you _will_ get this skill down eventually." She glared, and Kagome attempted to look innocent.

"Onto some aura work. I want you to extend your aura, but not too far. Don't want you losing control of it," the miko muttered darkly, fixing her student with another glare. "Tell me what else you can sense in the area."

Kagome ignored the pointed jab at her lack of meditation skills and closed her eyes. This was something she was mostly used to, as she'd done something very similar when searching for jewel shards. She took a deep breath and released it, at the same time extending her awareness along with her breath into her surroundings. The sensitivity of her senses diminished, the input from her surroundings fading as she opened herself.

It wasn't like sight, but it also wasn't any more like any other sense. She could _feel_ other beings around her. Each one was represented in her mind as something very much like color, but not quite. Each colorful shape seemed to glow with differing levels of intensity. It was also kind of like she could hear their aura whispering against hers. There was even something like a smell or taste to it. The louder the whispering, the stronger the color, and the more intense the taste, the more powerful the aura of the being.

Midoriko was easy to sense. The fellow miko appeared to her mind like a bright blue flame, humming steadily beside her with a hint of mint. Past the miko she could barely feel the consciousnesses of several small animals in the brush surrounding them. She could also feel the slightly stronger auras of the two horses cropping new spring grass a little way behind them. She ignored these in favor of extending her awareness farther out.

Some distance away she discovered the small brown flame of a predator. For some reason, the carnivorous animals seemed to have a higher spiritual strength, and they were easier to locate than the herbivores they fed on. This predator felt like a cat of some sort. It was currently stalking a rabbit, which was so weak as to be almost undetectable, and she left them to it. Beyond the hunting cat, she felt something else. It shimmered with dark gray energy, less a flame, and more a steady pulsing light more reminiscent of a light bulb. There was a metallic tang to it. This was a youkai.

"I found one, Midoriko-sama." Kagome's speech was slow, her awareness still outside her body. Her eyes remained tightly closed.

"What is it like?" came Midoriko's voice from very far away.

"It feels…gray, like iron. It's hard to explain. And it's not very strong."

"Excellent!" The miko sounded extremely pleased. "You're improving. And if you feel it as a dark gray, then it's only a very low level youkai. It probably doesn't even have resonance with a particular animal. You've seen its like before; they usually appear as monstrous shapes rather resembling worms, or combinations of different insects. They are also the easiest by far to destroy. Now, I want you to open your eyes, but keep a part of your awareness focused outside of yourself on our surroundings. It will be difficult at first."

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to look at the miko. She felt odd, and dizzy. She could still feel the auras of the demon and the hunting cat, but they were much dimmer. Every few seconds her attention alternated between trying to draw away from them, and then to focusing entirely on them, and she had to keep re-centering herself.

"Good, now pay attention. But don't lose the awareness." The miko shook her long braid over her shoulder and cleared her throat, preparing for her lecture.

"Now, there are three main levels of youkai. Not all youkai will fit exactly into one level however, and there are different sub-levels within the three main goupings. That lesson is for a later date. The lowest level was that which you just sensed. These are also the youkai that cause the most problems for humans, despite being relatively easy to kill. Higher-level youkai will often stay away from humans, finding us too troublesome to make an easy meal.

"As you know, all youkai are based in nature, just as we are. They have a deeper affinity to the natural world than we do, and their forms reflect this. Youkai of a-" The Miko cut off with a gasp, whipping her head around to stare toward the west.

Kagome felt a lurch within her, and her extended senses screamed with pain. There was a new presence at the edge of her awareness, and its power nearly consumed her. She reeled from the shock as what felt like a bright silver bonfire drew closer, its power so intense it seemed to be humming one high pitched, piercing note. The feel of cold hard steel screamed through her. Hastily she let go of her external awareness, focusing herself back in her own body. She could still feel the youkai, but it no longer felt like it was crushing her senses with its power.

Midoriko grimaced and stood, drawing her bow. Kagome, head still pounding with the shock, stood as well, nocking an arrow to her borrowed bow.

Together they waited for the youkai to approach, bows partially drawn. As it drew closer, Kagome realized that it was not alone. Two more pools of silver light accompanied it, but the power of the first had blocked them out temporarily. There was also a muddle of darker gray lights, but the stronger youkai overpowered the others, making it hard to tell exactly how many there were.

Kagome's hand tensed on her bowstring as the youkai appeared among the trees. First, she saw the mounts. They had the bodies of normal horses, but their manes and tails flickered and danced like flames. There were five of them, but only the three in front bore riders.

Two demons sat astride blood-red bays, their eyes scanning the area for threats, decked out in full armor. The chain mail that covered their cuirasses was lacquered in silver, and their gauntlets had spiraling designs of blue and silver. Both of them had fiery red hair drawn into topknots, and sharply pointed noses. They wore no helmets.

Twin sets of green eyes focused on the two miko, determining them to be the only likely threats. Midoriko smiled darkly, and aimed her arrow straight at the heart of the guard closest to her. She shifted her back leg slightly, moving her short sword into a readier position to draw as soon as she'd loosed an arrow. The arrow itself began pulsing slightly with blue energy. The demon grinned at the challenge, and his companion rested his hand lightly on his sword's pommel.

Kagome was unaware of the byplay between her teacher and the demonic guards, because as soon as the riders had become visible, every bit of her attention had focused on the youkai in the middle. He wore much less armor than the other youkai, only his cuirass and a thin spiked pauldron over each shoulder. The gi he wore under the armor was white with the same silver and blue detailing on the sleeves. His long flowing obi was electric blue, shot through with small spirals of silver. He was obviously tall, even on a horse, and his silver hair was pulled into a topknot. The fringe of hair over his forehead parted around a perfect crescent moon. Two magenta stripes slashed across each cheek, and another accented each eyelid. His amber eyes took in every bit of his surroundings with a calculating evaluation. Everything about him exuded precision, from the set of his jaw to his grip on the reins.

It was Sesshoumaru. He looked almost exactly as she'd last seen him, sometime far in the future. But he was not quite the same. There was something about him that seemed…less. He was not yet the youkai lord who had demanded and earned respect with his presence alone. He was still striking, undeniably impressive, but he did not have the absolute confidence of the Sesshoumaru she knew, who was exactly aware of his powers and their lack of limitations. This Sesshoumaru did have the arrogant tilt of his head that spoke of his noble lineage, but not the supreme assurance in his abilities that the older Sesshoumaru had oozed with every step. The set of his shoulders was not as strong, and he didn't yet hold his head the way she imagined a king would. He was Sesshoumaru, but incomplete.

He examined the clearing, his face impassive. His gaze flicked over Midoriko for a moment, assessing her level as a threat, before settling onto Kagome. Surprise shot through his impassive features, betrayed by a widening of his eyes. They stared at each other, and Kagome felt something inside her shift.

Something tugged at her from the inside, demanding that she go to this creature. It was suddenly imperative that she reach him. She struggled against the unknown force, fighting with her own body. This was Sesshoumaru! Relief at seeing a familiar figure warred with the natural fear that she'd felt at his presence so often in the past, and both were set upon by the strange force that was still pulling her towards him. It was rapidly gaining strength, and she had to fight even harder to keep from moving. She gritted her teeth as emotions and instincts roiled inside her, each one fighting for dominance. He stared straight at her, and she couldn't look away, no matter how hard she tried.

There was a sudden snap inside her, and the yearning to go to him disappeared. The shock of the absent force was so sudden that she stumbled, falling to one knee. Her vision swam, and her mind was fuzzy. From far away she felt Midoriko's hands on her, heard her teacher shouting angrily, but it was all very distant. She weakly glanced up at Sesshoumaru, and there was shock and hatred apparent in his gaze. His dangerous expression was the last thing she saw before blacking out.

G~C~G~C~G~C

"I'm sure you understand the honor to be gained from this offer. You will never receive a better offer than to serve the Inu-no-Taisho." Sesshoumaru's voice seemed to be reaching her from a great distance, but it was coming progressively closer. She struggled for consciousness, fighting against the lethargy that gripped her. After an intense effort, she cracked one eyelid open.

The three youkai were seated in seiza across a small fire from where she lay. The guards appeared to be completely ignoring the conversation, eyes trained on the ground before them. Sesshoumaru was examining Midoriko, the expression of disinterest back in place and the hatred completely gone. She couldn't see her teacher from the angle she was at, but she noted Midoriko's hand on her arm; the miko did not seem to realize she had awakened.

"If I agree to work for the Taisho, I want his promise to protect the villages I will be leaving behind," Midoriko's voice was firm with conviction.

"That can be arranged. Father has been meaning to extend his control to this area in any case. No human villages under his care suffer from youkai attack. Are there any other concerns?"

Kagome felt the hand on her arm tighten. "The girl comes with me as well. I've taken her on as my apprentice, and I'm not going to leave her behind."

Sesshoumaru's face darkened almost imperceptibly, and he opened his mouth to reply.

"Wait, what?" Kagome sat up so quickly her head seemed to spin all the way around. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"Kagome!" Midoriko grabbed her shoulders, spinning her around to face her. "Are you alright? How does your head feel? Do feel pain anywhere?" The miko pressed a rough hand against her forehead.

Kagome grunted. "I'm fine, Midoriko-sama. Leave off." She shoved the miko's hand away.

Midoriko growled to herself, and muttered viciously, "Ungrateful girl. Faints dead away for no reason and then expects me to believe she's perfectly healthy?"

Kagome scowled at her teacher, and the miko scowled right back.

Sesshoumaru broke in on their staring match. "The girl will not be coming with us."

Kagome turned her glare onto him. "Hold on now, what right do you have to decide what I can or cannot do?"

Midoriko's stare at the youkai was equally fierce. "With all due respect Sesshoumaru-sama," her tone said he was due very little, "I'll decide what I do with my apprentices." She turned to the apprentice in question. "Kagome, this is Sesshoumaru-sama, honored son of the Inu-no-Taisho."

Kagome belatedly remembered that she shouldn't know who Sesshoumaru was, and tried to look suitably impressed.

Sesshoumaru sniffed in contempt. "My father extended an invitation to only one miko, who was born in his domain. It did not extend to an untrustworthy child who owes him no allegiance."

Kagome felt her face heating with anger. _The nerve!_ She opened her mouth to give a scathing reply when realization struck her. _This is Sesshoumaru, there's no doubt of that. But he's not the Sesshoumaru I know. This one has never heard of Naraku, and has no need to keep me alive to defeat him. He might just kill me if I piss him off badly enough!_

She snapped her mouth shut, and instead grumbled mentally. The memory of his face, so filled with hatred right before she'd lost consciousness, flashed through her mind, and her anger drained away, replaced by fear. This youkai was unknown and unpredictable.

"If you want me, you'll accept my apprentice as well. If not, you can find yourself another miko."

Kagome felt a surge of affection for the miko, but then she remembered that she didn't even know if she _wanted_ to go with her. She opened her mouth to interject, but shut it again after a moment. What else was she going to do with her time here? Midoriko had given her a place to stay, and a reason to not go crazy and kill herself. She couldn't abandon the miko now.

For several tense moments, silence reigned. Sesshoumaru appeared to be considering. Finally, he gave a short nod. "She may come as well. We will deal with the consequences when we arrive. We leave early tomorrow." He rose, and the youkai beside him rose as well. He nodded slightly, and the youkai bowed. They turned to where their horses were standing loose and mounted. The fiery horses snorted, tossing their heads, and leapt out of the clearing at a gallop. Kagome watched them go, feeling more than a little stunned at the abruptness of the departure.

Midoriko sighed and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her palms. "That damn youkai is as arrogant as ever. I hadn't seen him for almost 20 years, and he's still a bastard."

Kagome choked off the vigorous yawn she'd been relishing with a strangled gasp. The gasp turned into a laugh, and she wheezed, trying to breathe around a severe case of the giggles.

Midoriko smirked as she watched Kagome regain her breath, but the humor faded quickly. "I am going with him Kagome."

Nervousness surged through her, but Kagome battered it down. "What exactly does he want you for?"

"The Taisho has always employed a miko among his staff, both for healing and as a spiritual guide for the humans in his care. Not to mention the fact that he enjoys having an ally under his roof that could destroy any of his enemies with a touch.

"The Taisho is an unusual youkai. He has never had any of the fear and dislike of miko that is so common among his kind. He's also much more protective of the humans who swear to him, and as such he has a larger holding than any other Taiyoukai. Partially because of that, the others are constantly trying to find ways to bring him down." Midoriko stared meditatively into the fire as she spoke, and she looked ethereal in the fading afternoon light. "I was born in the Taisho's village. My mother and father met working in his castle. His current miko, Chinatsu, was the one who first suggested that I be trained. I owe him much, and I've always known that one day I would return there."

She glanced at Kagome from the side of her eyes. "I meant what I said. I would like for you to accompany me. You really do have too much promise to waste. And in the past couple of weeks you've demonstrated an even greater amount of potential than I'd ever dared imagine. You could be very useful. And I'll admit that your company has grown on me." She turned back to the fire, seeming not to expect an answer immediately.

Kagome stared into the flames as well, thinking hard. She drew her knees up to her chest, and considered the possibilities. She'd already realized that she didn't have anywhere else to go, and she owed it to Midoriko to do as she wished. _But can I really leave the well? What if it opens again, and I'm not here? What if I miss my only opportunity to return to where I belong?_

She shook her head. _C'mon Kagome, you're being an idiot. _She had tried the well again only three nights before, and it was still as unresponsive as ever.

_But what about Sesshoumaru?_ She argued with herself. _The way he looked at me…_she shivered._ I've never seen someone look so hateful. And he _is_ Sesshoumaru, notorious evil bastard, even if he doesn't seem quite as practiced in the evil department just yet. Still, do I want to be any closer to him than I have to be? And what if I somehow change the future?_ She started to feel panicked again. _I could ruin everything!_

She clenched her hands into fists, pressing them into her forehead as she stared at the ground. _Get a grip Kagome. Do you really have any other choice? Just, be careful. Everything'll work out in the end. Maybe. _

She looked over at Midoriko. The miko was poking at the small fire with a stick, looking remarkably serene. She didn't look like the legend she would become. She just looked like a woman in her late thirties, with frown lines and laugh lines alike creasing her features. Her long black hair was drawn over one shoulder in a braid, and one hand rested lightly on the pommel of the short sword she was never without. She looked too human to be the source of an object that could destroy worlds.

"I'll go with you," Kagome said softly.

Midoriko looked up and smiled. "I'd hoped you would." Her smile turned into a rather vicious grin as she stood, heading for where they'd left their horses. "Now get up. If we're leaving tomorrow, there's far too much to do in such a short amount of time. I've got plenty of items for you to pack. And you still owe me an explanation for the sudden fainting fit!"

Kagome groaned as she hauled herself to her feet. This miko was far more evil than Sesshoumaru could ever be.

G~C~G~C~G~C

"Sango, when is Kagome coming back?"

With Shippo's quiet question, Sango felt her heart break even more. It had been almost a month since the girl from the future had vanished. Sango was trying to stay positive, but with each day that passed, she became more and more convinced that she would never see her friend again.

Incredibly, she felt her eyes well with tears at the kit's voice. Sango was not the kind of woman who cried easily. She had not cried in years. But the aching hole left in her heart where her best friend had been made her eyes sting. She dropped the sword she'd been sharpening, and pulled Shippo into her lap. He wrapped his tiny arms around her neck and sniffled into her shoulder. This was harder on Shippo than on any of the rest of them. Kagome had been the closest thing the kit had to a parent, and he'd already lost his family once.

She could feel the monk's eyes on her, and glanced up at him. He gave her a sad smile, and she returned it, willing herself not to cry.

InuYasha leapt down beside her. The hanyou looked lost. Without Kagome, he had no solid presence to ground him, and the strain of worrying for her was starting to wear him down. He had barely slept in the past month, and was up hours earlier than the rest of the group every morning, searching for any sign of Kagome.

He had gone to her home in the future, but had found no evidence of the girl. He had still not told Kagome's family that she was missing; Sango didn't blame him. She couldn't imagine being the one to bear that news.

"Don't worry, Shippo. She's coming back. Kagome wouldn't leave you alone." He squatted, and poked the kit gently in the shoulder.

Shippo sniffled, but nodded at InuYasha as he rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "Okay InuYasha."

The hanyou's ears suddenly perked, and he straightened with a growl as he inhaled deeply. The growl increased in intensity, and he crouched, drawing the Tetsusaiga. "Get ready," he said roughly, and the group scrambled to obey.

In moments, a figure appeared among the trees. InuYasha snarled as he appeared, and his eyes immediately began to bleed red despite his grip on Tetsusaiga. "Sesshoumaru!"

The hanyou leaped to attack, not waiting for so much as a word from his half-brother. Sango instinctively held the Hiraikotsu in a ready position, but refrained from joining in the fight. InuYasha was coiled so tightly with strain, he might snap and turn on his friends and not his brother if they interfered in his battle.

Sesshoumaru carelessly deflected the InuYasha's first attack, and the next one, and the next. He still had not spoken. After several long moments, he began to react to InuYasha's curses. His lips lifted in a sneer, and on the hanyou's next charge, Sesshoumaru deflected his blow with a fist, and then forced him to slam into the ground with his own momentum. There was a massive thud as InuYasha impacted.

InuYasha pulled himself up, still growling, his eyes bled almost completely through with red, and spat blood. Sango clenched her fist. This was going too far. Sesshoumaru had rarely been able to land so much damage to his brother before now.

When InuYasha charged again, Sesshoumaru vanished. He reappeared behind InuYasha, and his hand closed around the hanyou's throat.

"InuYasha!" Sango shouted, hefting her weapon. Beside her, Miroku swore, and began unwrapping the prayer beads from his hand.

There was a growl from Sesshoumaru, and he tightened his grip on the hanyou's neck. "You will lower your weapons if you ever wish to see the miko alive again." His voice was rough, and Sango noticed that a non-existent wind was whipping his clothes, and there was red rimming his eyes as well. Fear spiked within her.

InuYasha spat an insult at his brother, blood covering his lips. Sesshoumaru glared up at the hanyou in his grip. "Vile half-breed," he sneered, and slammed InuYasha into the ground headfirst. Sango screamed, watching in horror as their champion went limp.

G~C~G~C~G~C

A/N: I know. I am absolutely notorious for making Kagome pass out. But this time I'm rather glad I did it. XD

Some of you have been questioning. I will say this: This is still Green Child. It's still called that for the same reason. I'm just taking longer to get to the most important plot points this time around.

Thanks very much to the 6 amazing people who did review the last chapter! XD

I want to extend a special thanks to SweetiePie on Dokuga. This glorious reader not only left me a beautiful review, but also requested permission to make a poster based on this story. –is seriously starry eyed- Oh. My. God. Someone wants to make fanart for my story. BEST DAY EVER!

Please, before you leave, drop me a review.

Merry Christmas to all! If you don't celebrate Christmas, have a wonderful December 24 & 25!


	5. Chapter 4: So Cold

A/N: It's been half a year. You have my apologies, loves. I'M SORRY! D:

Slight edits have been added to the previous chapters, because I have to fudge with word choice and stuff every time I read through the story. Nothing major though. Thanks go, as always, to my lovely beta Renohotness for catching my mistakes. XD

The glorious being that is SweetiePie made me a poster. Because she's awesome and amazing, you should all go give her some love. I'll link it on both my profiles.

Chapter is dedicated to SweetiePie (thanks again for the poster!) and to whichever reader it was that I PM'ed a month ago, saying that I'd have a chapter out in a few days. I lied, and you have my apologies.

Song is by Breaking Benjamin, and you should all recognize it. It's the same one I used in the trailer. Enjoy the chapter!

*G*C*G*C*G*C*

Chapter 4: So Cold

_Show me how it ends it's alright_

_Show me how defenseless you really are_

_Satisfied and empty inside_

_Well, that's alright, let's give this another try_

_If you find your family, don't you cry_

_In this land of make-believe, dead and dry_

_You're so cold, but you feel alive_

_Lay your hand on me one last time_

"She's not coming back?" The kit's voice was quiet, but laden with sorrow.

"The miko will play a part in the final battle with Naraku," Sesshoumaru said coolly, standing apart from the group seated beneath a dying pine tree.

InuYasha growled, his face still scratched and bruised from where he'd been slammed into the ground. "You didn't answer the question, bastard. Where the hell is Kagome? What have you done with her?" He grunted as Sango tightened the bandage she was wrapping around his ribs.

"The miko is beyond any of our reaches now. But she is not lost for good." There was a strange conviction in his tone as he said those words. If Sango didn't know what a cold-hearted killer he was, she might have thought he was trying to reassure himself with the words. But that was ridiculous of course. She finished tying off Inuyasha's bandages. His broken ribs would be healed before day's end.

"But she's not coming back until we fight Naraku? Why?" Shippo's voice trembled, despite his desperate attempts not to cry. He clung to Kirara with a fierce desperation.

"She cannot," the demon lord said simply.

Sango grit her teeth. He wouldn't give them any straight answers. She was more than half convinced that he'd done something to her friend, but they had no proof. Yet. If he'd hurt Kagome, he would pay.

Sesshoumaru turned away from them, looking stonily into the distance. "The final battle with Naraku is fast approaching. Steps must be taken to prepare."

Miroku tapped his chin thoughtfully, eyes calculating. "Sesshoumaru-sama, why are you telling us this?"

Sesshoumaru turned his head to stare at the monk, ignoring the quiet rumbling growl InuYasha was emitting. "We must work together if any of us, including the miko, are to survive."

Sango shivered at the finality in his voice.

*G*C*G*C*G*C*

"I have mislead you."

Kagome's head snapped around in shock. Not only was it the first sentence the demon had uttered in 3 days that didn't consist of an order to make or break camp, but the fact that he was admitting to a lie was rather mind-blowing. Sesshoumaru was the epitome of the honorable warrior. Since when did he have any reason to lie? It would probably take him less effort to kill someone than to lie to them. He'd done a lot of things to her and her friends, but an outright lie was never one of them. _Kagome, _she interrupted herself sternly,_ you're mind-rambling. Shut it._

Midoriko seemed just as startled as Kagome. The ball of rice she'd been in the process of devouring was halfway to her mouth, seemingly forgotten. Apparently, even here in the past, a lying Sesshoumaru was unthinkable. The two guards, who had remained nearly as silent as their lord the past days, showed no sign of surprise. _A-ha! The henchmen are in on it!_

Sesshoumaru was watching Midoriko's reaction, no sign of remorse (or any other emotion, for that matter) on his face. He was merely stating the facts. The miko cleared her throat, setting her food down. "Alright," she said, "I'll bite. What have you been hiding Sesshoumaru-sama?" She narrowed her eyes at the stoic demon. Kagome took a moment to marvel over the woman's…vivacity in challenging such a powerful demon. _She's got balls,_ the girl thought to herself, and promptly blushed. She really hadn't been the type to curse very much before recent events. _I've got to stop that. I'm turning into InuYasha!_

"My father did send me to acquire your services, but there was another purpose to this journey. My father's human…_companion_," Kagome would swear she saw his lip wrinkle in distaste, "has disappeared from her family's holdings. He intends us to find and retrieve her before her absence is made known to the other Taiyoukai or Daimyo. You," he nodded to Midoriko, "are to aid in her protection once we find her, both on the journey and once we reach Kinjyoutouchi."

Midoriko pondered this for a moment. "I had not heard of your father taking a new woman. If you do not mind me asking, who is she?"

When Sesshoumaru answered, it was with the air of being forced to eat something unpleasant. "Kobayashi Izayoi, niece of the current Daimyo, Kobayashi Noboru, daughter of deceased Lord Kobayashi Katsuro." There was a pregnant pause as he finished speaking, the flavor of words left unsaid.

Kagome's mind was once again reeling in shock. _Holy shit!_ She thought, completely forgetting her earlier decision to stop cursing. _Oh my God! That's InuYasha's mom! Oh my God, oh my God, oh my GOD!_ She was so busy flipping out, she almost didn't notice Midoriko's quiet addendum.

"That would make her Kobayashi Hayate's niece as well then, wouldn't it?" the miko murmured.

Sesshoumaru's eyes tightened slightly. It was the only change in his expression, but he suddenly seemed to radiate icy malevolence. "Kobayashi Hayate is dead." With that he rose in a blur of fluid grace, and glided away into the surrounding trees, still emanating anger. The two guards looked up finally, having been staring straight into the middle distance throughout the conversation. One of them turned immediately after Sesshoumaru, while the other bowed apologetically to the two miko before following.

Midoriko released a long breath of air. Her body abruptly sagged, revealing how tightly she had been holding herself. Her head fell into her hands and she stared down at her sandal-clad feet.

Kagome was stunned, the display having broken her preoccupation at hearing Izayoi's name. _What was that about? The only time I've seen Sesshoumaru that angry was…well, when he looked at me that time a few days ago. Who is this Hayate guy? Or was, I suppose. I guess he's dead. Why was Sesshoumaru so mad?_ She glanced at the other miko, but Midoriko didn't seem willing to talk at the moment, drawn into her own thoughts. She sat in silence, staring at the fire.

Kagome's thoughts chased each other around in circles, constantly shifting around the demon lord. A stray thought occurred to her. She'd heard him speak more in the past 4 days than she had in the entire 3 years she'd known him. As her mind drifted, the memory of Rin, the child who was always found near Sesshoumaru became lodged in her mind. No matter how she tried, she couldn't shake the image of the smiling little girl, laughing while she followed after the youkai she adored.

*G*C*G*C*G*C*

Izayoi grunted as the man threw her against a wall. Terror had her deep in its grips as his fetid breath washed over her face. "Konton," she gasped out as his hand seized her throat. She feebly pulled against his hands. "Wh-why are you doing this?" she wheezed in a breath, her struggles weakening.

The man grimaced at her, his panting mouth mere inches from her face. He threw her to the ground and she crashed through a stack of boxes. Rotten turnips and heads of lettuce spilled around her. In desperation she looked to the mouth of the alley. The people who hurried past in the street either had no idea what was happening or were very good at acting like they were clueless. She was alone.

Konton smiled evilly as he squatted next to her. He clenched her face between fat fingers and pulled her up, turning her head this way and that as if examining a cut of meat. "Your Honored Uncle sent me to find you and bring you back in one piece. But what he doesn't know won't hurt him girl. You are mine until I decide to return you."

His unpleasant smile had only a moment to spread before it was wiped away as he reeled in shock. He reached up, wiping at his cheek. "You spat on me," he said, stunned. Then he growled, and his fist slammed against her jaw, knocking her to the ground again. "You bitch!"

Izayoi let out a scream, but she knew it was useless. There was no one there to help her.

*G*C*G*C*G*C*

"Just have a look around, he says. Don't do anything but look. You'll be too useless in any dangerous situations. Let the big strong demons handle it. Yeah, except the big strong demons aren't _here_! What good is tha-Ow!" Kagome's rebellious muttering was cut short when she tripped over a rock lying innocently in her path.

Midoriko's arm steadied her before she could fall, and she clutched at the miko gratefully. Irritated she kicked the rock, and it flew several yards before clattering against the post of a supporting wall of what seemed to be a culinary establishment, judging from the smells wafting from it. Kagome glared at the rock, feeling useless.

Midoriko sighed a long-suffering sigh. "Kagome, secrecy is a key factor in this. If Sesshoumaru is seen searching a human village, word will spread. The Taisho's enemies will suspect. Unless we find word of her, there is no sense in exposing himself to the public eye. Deal with it, girl." The miko gave Kagome another of her scowls.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. But what are the chances we'll find anything in this random little village? Who's to say she's been anywhere near here? There are dozens of villages like this one near where she was last seen. I really don't think…" her words trailed off as she noticed something. "Did you hear that?"

She turned towards the direction the noise had come from. Again, there was the sound of something slamming against a wall, along with a muffled cry of pain. "I think there's someone fighting down that alley there," she pointed to the building her rock had hit.

Midoriko shook her head. "It's best not to get involved with things like this. It's far more likely that you'll be injured yourself. Come on, let's see what we can find out at the inn over there."

As Midoriko turned away, Kagome distinctly heard an angry male voice roaring obscenities, and then a feminine scream.

Before she realized what she was doing, she was running towards the alley. _Oh God. This is a terrible idea._

"Kagome! Stop!" Midoriko yelled behind her, but she was already turning the corner of the building.

A man was crouched at the end of the alley, a woman on the ground beneath him amidst a scattering of broken boxes and moldy vegetables. Without thinking, Kagome reached into her belt. Midoriko had given her a knife early on in her stay, to use in cutting herbs. It was small, but the blade was sharp. _Yep, this is definitely a bad idea, _she thought as she approached them.

The man didn't notice her until the knife was pressed against his throat. "Let her go, you piece of slime, and I'll think about not gutting you." Kagome's hand shook slightly, but her words were firmer than she could've hoped. She marveled for a moment over her tone. There was nothing in her voice of the absolute terror she felt, or the sweat dripping down her back, or the goosebumps rising all over her body. Nothing but icy anger. _Way to be, Higurashi! _She congratulated herself mentally.

The man froze as soon as he felt the cool metal pressing against his skin. He was a big man, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. There was a scar on the ear closest to her, where what seemed to be the slash of a wild animal's claws had nearly torn it off. His hair was lank and greasy, and his clothing was drab and stained. She saw his beady eyes flick over his shoulder to examine her, sizing her up as an opponent. She tried to firm her grip on the knife, and look as menacing as she could.

His lip curled in a sneer. "You wouldn't dare, little girl."

Kagome didn't respond, but she felt her panic rising. Could she really kill this man? Could she kill a person? Then she really looked at the woman on the ground for the first time. There were bruises coloring one eye and her jaw, scratches all over her face and arms, and there seemed to be blood matting her hair. She wore dirty clothing obviously meant for a man that was far too large for her, and the top was gaping open where the man had ripped at the ties. She stared up at Kagome, hope shining in her eyes.

Kagome felt her hand tighten on the knife. Yes, she could kill this bastard.

"Even if she doesn't, I will, scum," Midoriko said loudly from behind. She walked into Kagome's line of sight, sword poised and ready, bow and quiver slung over her back. The man saw her too and sagged. He moved his hands out in front of him, making no move to resist. Midoriko flicked her sword up to rest its point in the hollow of his throat. Kagome pulled away as Midoriko backed the man up, still on his knees, toward the mouth of the alley.

Kagome knelt quickly next to the battered girl on the ground. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.

The girl gasped as Kagome helped her sit up, clutching at her head. "I…I think so," she said with a grimace. "Thank you for saving me, Miko-sama." Her voice was fervent.

Kagome gave her a grin. "Call me Kagome, if you please. And what's your name?" She noted that the girl couldn't be much older than she.

The girl returned the smile shakily. "Izayoi, Kagome-san. I am in your debt."

Kagome blinked. _Well. That's…ironic. _

Izayoi wavered suddenly, breaking Kagome's train of thought. "I think, I think I may be more injured than I thought Kagome-san," she whispered, eyes closed. She lifted a hand to the side of the head, and it came away red with fresh, dripping blood.

"Oh no," Kagome said. "Oh God, Midoriko!" she shouted for her mentor, panic filling her voice.

Izayoi slid bonelessly back to the dirt, Kagome quickly reaching to cushion her head on as she fell.

"What? What's wrong?" Midoriko knelt next to Kagome, bow in one hand, sword in the other. Without waiting for an answer she shoved the bow at Kagome and moved to examine the unconscious Izayoi. "Her head wound is bleeding much more badly than I thought, but I don't think she has any other injuries we didn't notice. It doesn't look fatal, we just need to get this bleeding stopped. She probably has a concussion as well. She can't be allowed to remain unconscious. We'll have to-get down!"

In those next moments Kagome felt time slow. Before that moment, she would've said that such a thing was impossible, something that only happened in books and movies. But in that moment, as she fell to land heavily on her side from her mentor's shove, every miniscule detail was clear. The exact shade of the dirt between her fingers, each speck of dust twirling through the late afternoon sun, the feel of the rough fabric of her hakama against her thighs, the smell of rotting vegetation and blood, the glint of the knife as it spun through the air. The gentle _thunk_ as it parted Midoriko's skin. The almost imperceptible _schick_ as it slid through her neck to leave the skin at the opposite side. The gleam of the red blood that fountained away from the miko's body.

Kagome's gaze moved sluggishly from the bloody body of Midoriko as she fell slowly, languidly to the ground, to the man who was turning to run, the deed done, back to the street. Her hand scrabbled, mindless, at the quiver on Midoriko's back even as the miko's body settled to the ground. The fletchings of the arrow were soft against her fingers as she stood smoothly, drawing her hand back to her cheek, aiming and releasing. The string of the bow slapped and vibrated as it sent the arrow on its flight. The man had barely taken five steps when the arrow, missing its mark in her haste to loose it, hit the back of his thigh. He stumbled another step, two, then fell to the ground, flailing.

Maybe it was fate, maybe it was purely coincidence, or maybe it was luck. The angle of his head was just right that the rock, kicked unintentionally into position by the entrance of the alley by Kagome mere minutes before, was there to meet him as he came to the ground. The small, jagged point where the rock had been broken sometime in the past pressed against his left eye, for a moment only indenting it, before the surface gave.

A horrendous scream left his throat, and the moment was broken. Kagome rocked back on her heels, shocked from the sudden return to normal perception, and then her legs crumpled. She did not see as the man, still moaning in agony, pulled himself away from the alley, got to his feet, and ran. Instead she crawled her hands up and over Midoriko's still form, pressing under her shirt to feel her heart.

The miko's heart was beating weakly, stuttering in a syncopated rhythm that faded even as she felt it. After a brief moment, it stopped completely. Kagome felt at Midoriko's wrist to be sure. She couldn't touch the miko's neck, where the knife was still lodged.

She sat back, staring at Midoriko's slack face, spattered with blood. Her long braid had been partially severed by the knife, the loose hairs wildly flying out of containment to partially obscure her features. Her eyes were empty, focused on something Kagome could never hope to see.

Kagome shuddered, adamantly not thinking as she turned to where Izayoi lay, unconscious. With jerky movements she bound the head wound, slowly and carefully tearing off strips of fabric from her dead mentor's hakama without looking at the still face. When she had ascertained that Izayoi was stable, she turned away from her. She didn't look at the girl they had come to rescue. She didn't look at the miko who had died to save her. She stared blankly at the wall opposite her.

She had no idea how long it was before Sesshoumaru appeared in front of her. There was no noise of approach. He was simply there. She stared up at him, searching, eyes pleading. He met her gaze, face empty as it always was.

"Come," he said. That was all. With surprising gentleness he grasped under her arm, lifting her to her feet, positioning her, directing her like a doll. When he let her go, she crumpled again. This time, there was something in his face as he reached for her. Were she in the mood to think, she might have thought it compassion. He picked her up and carried her away, directing the guards who had followed him to retrieve the women left behind, both living and dead. Kagome didn't hear his orders. All she heard was the sound of her own rasping breath as she began to sob desperately. _What have I done?_

*G*C*G*C*G*C*

A/N: And we're done with a thoroughly depressing chapter. Damn, I was starting to really love Midoriko too. If you've read the previous version, you were probably expecting that though. But if you haven't, I hope you're reeling with shock. What do you think?

You guys are amazing, incidentally. I got 19 reviews total for the last chapter. Wooo! Definite improvement. I wish I could send you all gift baskets. XD

If you'd like an explanation for my absence, my only (seriously lame) excuse is that I'm an aspiring writer who's absolutely terrified of writing. Go figure.

Drop a review before you leave, pretty pretty please! Feed the beast! Nom nom nom!


End file.
